May 2, 2003
Game Notes in PDF Format
The University of Kentucky softball team (15-40) will travel to Iowa City this weekend to take on the 23rd-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (38-12). For Kentucky, it will be the final two games of the season. Saturday’s game will begin at 3 p.m. CT while Sunday’s closer will start at 1 p.m. CT.
The Cats are coming off a doubleheader split of Western Kentucky, while the Hawkeyes are winners of their last three, including a two-game series sweep of No. 24 Illinois.
The Hawkeyes have six players batting over .300 which has helped them accumulate a team batting average of .305. They are led by Kristin Johnson who comes in sporting a .374 average. Stacy May leads the team with 62 hits and 16 doubles. In the pitcher’s circle, Lisa Birocci and Ali Arnold lead the pitching attack. Birocci is 23-7 with a miniscule 0.89 ERA while Arnold has a 14-5 mark with a 1.00 ERA.
Iowa is coached by Gayle Blevins who is in her sixteenth season with the Hawkeyes and 24th year overall. The NFCA Hall of Famer has amassed a 965-445-5 career record, including a 665-297-3 mark at Iowa.
The trip to the University of Iowa will be a homecoming for UK head coach Beth Pruitt and assistant coach Lynda Cook. Pruitt played for the Hawkeyes from 1984-87, earning All-Big Ten honors three times. Cook was a member of the squad from 1986-1989 and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors twice and in her senior year, was named to the All-Big Ten second team and was Iowa’s MVP.
The Wildcats and Hawkeyes have met on one previous occasion, on March 15, 1997 at the Indiana Tournament. Iowa won that game 8-0 and holds the 1-0 series advantage.
